As Thursday's debate between Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom approaches, an interesting and disappointing dynamic has arisen. It's also an incredibly dangerous one.
The background here is Fox News' Sean Hannity, who for whatever reason is cozy with Newsom, proposing a debate between the two governors. DeSantis, who is running a distant second in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, took the opportunity in stride and agreed. You'd think no one could fault him for stepping out and being willing to face down one of the worst Democrats in the country, but you'd be wrong.
Instead of presenting a united Republican front, some portion of the base is actually rooting against DeSantis. Why? Because they see him possibly beating up on Newsom as a threat to Donald Trump's candidacy.
We aren't just talking about random accounts either. As RedState reported, we are talking about high-up supporters of the Trump campaign, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and actual campaign officials.
The first thing to note here is how stupid it is to feel threatened by DeSantis debating Newsom. If the polls are correct, Donald Trump is up nationally somewhere between 40 and 60 points. Does anyone really think the Florida governor winning a debate with Newsom will change that dynamic in any significant way? It's fairly clear that the indictments have rallied Republicans around Trump and that there's precious little that could change that.
In other words, some are choosing to prop up Newsom for essentially no gain at all. What's the worst that can happen if you are a Trump supporter and DeSantis does well? A slight drop in the polling that makes no real difference in the race? Is protecting against that irrelevant possibility so important that some would help launch a tyrannical maniac's 2028 (and possibly 2024) candidacy just to see DeSantis fail?
Those taking that tack are playing with fire. I've been warning about Newsom for at least the last year. He is obviously building a national apparatus and profile with the intention to run for the White House. He is also the kind of smooth-talking liberal who can win because he appeals to certain demographics that Republicans have had trouble recouping. Namely, suburban women.
Here's the broader issue. It doesn't even matter whether DeSantis objectively does well in the debate or not. Politics is all about framing and messaging, and to not unite to use this opportunity to put Newsom behind the eight ball would be a huge missed opportunity.
The California governor is probably the most dangerous Democrat in the country when you consider his trajectory, prominence, and ideology. Republicans can not afford to be short-sighted here just because they want to spite DeSantis for daring to run in an open primary. Flirting with Newsom at this point is how you end up with him becoming president one day, as our Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar, a California resident who knows his shenanigans all too well, wrote in an opinion piece earlier Monday.
READ: Are Conservatives Trying to Put Gavin Newsom In the White House?
In short, we should all be rooting for DeSantis. This debate is a chance to dirty Newsom up and stall his national prospects. To throw that chance away to instead be petty about the primary would be a profound miscalculation. I would hope most Republicans are smarter than that.
